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Aug. 5, 1930. R C, COLWELL 1,772,208

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Filed Nov. 20, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Rabel''. Cola/6MM Aug. 5, 1930. la. c. coLwELL TOP Filed Nov. 20, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet- 2 lql Aug. 5, 1930. R. c. coLwELL TOP s sheets-sheet s Filed NOV. 20, 1928 Patented Aug. 5, 1930 UNITED. STATES: PATENT-OFFICE I,

. ROBERT cAMERoNcoLWELL, or MonGaN'TowN, WEST vine riare Y TOP App'noatiaii nig-.a Noemberfzo, 192s. serial No. 320,638'.v`

andfclaimed, it being understood that changes in the'pr'ecise embodiment ofthe invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thefspirit of the invention.,k In the accompanying drawings 'thepreferred forms of the invention have been shown.

In said drawings,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the top and a support therefor whereby the top can be caused to walk down an inclined board.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the top and one end portion of the supporting structure.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3 3, Figure 1.

Figure 4 is a plan View of the top frame and a portion of its supporting structure showing two positions during the walking operation, one extreme position being indicated by full lines and the other eXtreme position being indicated by broken lines.

Figure 5 is a section on line 5-5, Figure 4.

Figure 6 is a side elevation similar to Figure 1 but showing a modified structure whereby the top can be caused to walk along parallel wires.

Figure 7 is a section on line 7-'7, Figure 6.

Figure 8 is a top plan view of another modiied form of the device wherebythe top can be caused to climb upwardly along a special ladder provided for that purpose.

Figure 9 is a side elevation of the structure shown in Figure 8.

Figure 10 is a section on line 10-10, Fig-` ure 9, the distant being removed. l

Referring tothe figures by characters of portions of the structure reference, l designates a gyroscope top the trunnions 2 of which can be Ydetachably mounted in clips 3 or can be otherwise held` for rotation on a frame 4including'a1'iv inter-- mediate downwardly bowed j portion 5 into which the gyroscope projects, and side stand-y ards. These standards areQfiXedly connect# ed to opposite sides of an arcuate shoe 7 hav-Y ing its side portions oppositely bowed asat 8, this slioefwith its side portions'heing formedV preferably of ay length `of wire 'andl being slightly curved from its front or toe portion 9 lto its rear terminals 10 so as to form alrocker as shown particularly in Figure 1. g

In the structure Villustratedin Figures y1 to 5 inclusivethe shoe 7 -ris adaptedlto' rest upon an inclined board'll above which are supported parallel wiresor vrods 12 thatjeX-S tend between'the standards 6 and between 'the' shoe 7 and the bowed or"oifset-portilon 5 of; the frame4. i i j Y", i The gyroscopictop is `adapted to be spun by means of a cord in the usual lway so as to" rotatein the direction indicatedby the ar# rows in Figures 1 and 2. As the top structure is -supportedon the'inclined yboard, 10, the 75 y rapidly spinning Vtopf-willinove forwardly and downwardly by precession. In other words one of the standards will frictionally engage the outer sideY portion yof one'of the wires or rods 12 and while thusheld by friction the other standardv will `be swungfo'r wardly andlaterally, the curved toe 9 :of-the" shoe at thistime ridingl along'the bottomv faces of the rods until the advancing standard comes against one 'of the'frods at whichl time: the other standard 6 will vbe swung forwardlyand laterally. Two of these extreme `posi#` tions assumed'successively bythe to'pqsupporting structure have been indicated fullf anddotted lines in Figure 4. As a result of this action the top will travel downwardly along the board'll with a walking action'.

Insteadof mounting thetop on 'an inclined board, it can bel caused to travel along two parallel wires or rods such asindic'atedat 13 in Figures 6 and 7 .Y Inthis modified Y structure the shoe 7 is dispensed with andin lieu thereof two separate shoes 14 in the'form of hooks aref'provi'ded 'at the'lo'wer Vends of standards 15, these .hooks being arranged will likewise produce a walking action ofthe n top downwardly along the supporting wires or rods. In Figures 6 and'7 the gyroscopic top has been indicated at 16 and its trun-V nions 17 are shown mounted on a frame 18 inclu'ding an arcuate intermediate portion 195 similar to that shown at 5.

k'As a gyroscopic top in its precessionv natu-y rally moves forwardly and upwardly, it has been found that a modification of this device can, be employed whereby the top will be caused to travel upwardly along a specially designed ladder. f In Figures 8, 9, and 10 this yhook-like shoe i27-V extending therefrom.

Thus when the top is given a spinning actionY vand the frame 25 is rocked laterally by the to precession andto successive engagement p of the shoes with the respective members.

4;.' The combination with an inclined sup porting structure including parallel spaced members, of-a .gyroscopic top therebetween having its axis of rotation extended across said members, and means operated by the top and cooperatingvwith said members for moving the top along the members with a walking motion. Y Y Y 5. The 'comb-'nation with a supporting structure including spacedparallel lmembers inclined in the direction of their length, of a gyroscopic top, a Vframe movable with the top, shoes connected to opposed portions of the frame for engagement with the respective members of the supporting structure, said shoes cooperating with .the sa-1d members to move the top along the inclined members with a walking motion due to precession andy to successive engagement of the shoeswith the'respectivemembers, the said spaced members including shoes. l

`In testimony thatI claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aixed my signature.

u vROBERT CAMERON ACOLELL. Y

crank 28 or other means, theshoe 27 will be l caused to move upwardly successively so as to engage the steps 22 provided therefor and in this way the top structurewill move up` the ladder-likesupport with a walking motion.

.What is claimed is: I l 1. The combination with an inclined support including parallel spaced members, of a gyroscopic top therebetween havingits axis of rotation extended across said members, support engaging means movable with the top 'by preces'sionfor engaging the 'spaced members of the support successively thereby to cause the top to travel along'the support witha walking motion. f 2. The combination with an'inclined sup` porting structure including parallel members, of a gyroscopic ltop carried by' said structure, and separate meansimovable by precession -with the top for successively engaging the respective members ofV the support-ing structurethereby to swing the top` forwardly and laterally in opposite direc-l tions successively to tionto the top.y s 3. lThe `combination--with a f supporting structure including spaced Vparallel inclined member-S, Off@ gyfscopic top., a lframefmov-v.

impart, a. walking :mon

steps for engagement by thel lOl). 

